(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to an apparatus and a method of using the apparatus that controls a prolonged and continuous burning of charcoal in a charcoal burning barbecue grill for slow, low temperature cooking of meat. In particular, the apparatus is a loop form divider wall that is placed in a conventional charcoal barbecue grill to divide the heat chamber of the barbecue grill into inner and outer volumes, the outer volume being a circular volume. Cooking fuel such as charcoal is placed in the outer volume to create a circular path of charcoal that burns slowly to slow cook and smoke meats. In an alternate embodiment of the apparatus, the divider wall is provided with a plurality of bends that form a circuitous pathway between opposing surface sections of the wall. The pathway is lined with cooking fuel and the fuel is burned along the pathway which causes the fuel to burn slowly.
(2) Description of the Related Art
It is well known that various meats, such as beef brisket and pork rump, have a much better taste, flavor, and texture, and provide an improved yield when smoked for a prolonged period of time at lower or controlled cooking temperatures. Conventional charcoal barbecue grills do not provide an adequate means for prolonging the cooking cycle. In these conventional barbecue grills, the charcoal or coals are usually piled in a mound in the center of the heat chamber and ignited. This technique concentrates the heat of the ignited coals and promotes the igniting and burning of all of the coals in the pile. When the coals appear white such that each is sufficiently burning, the coals are spread out in the heat chamber of the barbecue grill, and the grill is placed over the coals so that uniform heat is radiated from the burning coals to the grill. In this process, the coals are generally ignited at the same time so that all the coals reach their maximum heat generating capacity at about the same time. Since the coals are spread uniformly throughout the heat chamber and the structure of the barbecue grill provides a means for radiantly and evenly distributing the heat generated onto the grill, foods may be cooked quickly. However, since the charcoal is usually accumulated around the center of the heat chamber of the barbecue grill, the rate of charcoal burning or the amount of the heat generated from charcoal burning cannot be controlled.
As the charcoal briquettes burn, they expend their heat generating capacity and slowly cool. The peak temperature and amount of heat generated in the heat chamber depends largely upon the amount of charcoal burned in the heat chamber. To quicken or slow the rate at which charcoal is consumed, conventional barbecue grills may be provided with air valves to control the amount of air introduced into the heat chamber. Opening and closing of the valves varies the amount of air fed into the chamber. This may quicken or slow the rate at which the charcoal reaches its peak temperature and its maximum heat generating capacity. For cooking some foods, varying these parameters is satisfactory. However, for foods requiring extended cooking times, the adjustment of air valves is often found to be insufficient to slow cook meats at low temperatures for an extended cooking cycle.
In order to sustain charcoal burning at a low temperature heat for a prolonged cooking cycle, it is usually necessary to add new charcoal periodically to the heat chamber during the duration of the cooking time period. Because the grill or cooking surface is usually located above the heat chamber, the grill must first be removed to access the heat chamber and to add charcoal. Understandably, it is very inconvenient to remove the grill to add new coals while the grill is hot and the slow cooking meat is on the grill.